Revenge On Their Minds, Greatness In Sight: France's FIFA World Cup 2026 Mission
France look to win their second World Cup title in three editions at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a heartbreak against Argentina in 2022.
It is extremely rare for a footballer to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup final. What is even rarer is the hat-trick to end up on the losing cause. Such was the distance between Kylian Mbappe and a second consecutive World Cup title. In 2022, the footballing world was left emotional by Lionel Messi finally lifting the coveted title with Argentina but in the final, France showed resilliance of epic proportions before going down eventually in penalties. In 2026, France are back with a team that boasts of superstars and players who have already won the title - under a manager who knows exactly how to make the team click on the grandest occasion. The likes of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise are already celebrated around the world and coach Didier Deschamps is just one World Cup win away from achieving something that has not been done since the 1930s.
Revenge Time
In the past decade, every French team stood out for one specific reason - squad depth. Before every World Cup, some analyst ended up creating 2-3 different French squads just to show the sheer talent on offer. When players like Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani do not even find a place in the squad, it is no exaggeration to think that the talent on offer is on another level.
However, the thing that will be driving this team is more mental - an urge to avenge their loss in 2022.
They won the title in 2018 and even in 2022, they were just inches away from completing a stunning double. However, while Messi completed his fairytale, the French were left to wait for 4 more years. However, they look ready with an unbeaten qualification campaign that saw the team secure 16 points and Mbappe leading the charge with 5 goals.
A Forward Line Per Excellence
The trio of Mbappe, Olise and Dembele is enough to strike fear in the heart of any team but where France stand apart is the bench strength. At 21, Desire Doue has already won the UEFA Champions League with PSG twice and is hailed as one of the most exciting talents in the world. Add the likes of Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Bradley Barcola to the mix and Deschamps have an embarrasing amount of riches at his disposal when it comes to his attackers.
However, attack wins you games but defence wins you tournaments - so goes the saying.Â
William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano provide the solid centre-back partnership that has become the rock of the back-line. Theo Hernandez and Lucas Hernandez provide more solidity as full-backs and the likes of Lucas Digne, Ibrahima Konate and not to forget, the goalkeeper Mike Maignan has the perfect mix of youth and experience that can prove to be crucial.
Deschamps On Verge Of Greatness
Italy's Vittorio Pozzo was the only person to win the World Cup twice as a head coach. However, Deschamps came extremely close in 2022 to achieve the rare feat. He won the World Cup as captain in 1998 and then, coached the national side to the 2018 trophy. While 2022 ended in heartbreak, he has the chance to create history in 2026. This will also be his final shot at greatness as he did not extend his contract and will leave his position as head coach at the end of the competition.
Complete Squad
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Racing Lens), Brice Samba (Stade Rennais).
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston ‌Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (PSG), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Fenerbahce), Manu Kone (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG).
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Desire Doue (PSG), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
France